“Aruhwa” symbolizes “our traditional sweets as beautiful as flowers.” It is the signature brand of Damyang Hanwha Myungjin Food, an agricultural corporation with a rich heritage of three generations and over 50 years dedicated to the production of traditional Korean hangwa (sweets). With a focus on naturalness, the company eschews additives, chemical flavorings or artificial syrups, relying instead on homemade rice malt and syrup for sweetness. Rooted in methods handed down by palace maids from the early Joseon Dynasty, these traditional sweets have become ceremonial staples that link Korea's past and present. Their accolades include organic food certifications, smart farm designation, traditional food quality recognition, and FDA approval. They are also proud to hold three patents related to innovative food production methods such as snacks, lotus root processing, and seaweed jelly production. Their flagship product is an extensive set of traditional Korean sweets. For Chuseok in 2023, they launched Damyang Traditional Sweets Cheonrihyang, which includes wheat-based sweets, deep-fried sweet rice cakes, puffed rice-covered fried rice snacks, tea cakes, candied sweets, dried fruit sweets, sliced candies, malted sweet rice puffs, and various malt candies. The composition of sets such as Seolhyang, Mihyang, Jukhyang, Yehyang and Baekrihyang varies according to the price range. They created Choco-Hangwa by mixing chocolate with malt syrup to cater to the tastes of the younger generation, and it's selling with great popularity. After Choco-Hangwa and Choco-Gangjeong, products such as “Daily Nutrition Bar” with nuts were successively launched and gained popularity. They released a variety of new Korean-style snacks that are light and convenient, such as Prickly Pear Bangul Yugwa (70g), Sticky Rice Honey Yakgwa (Honey Cookie) (1kg), Wheat Yakgwa (1kg), Korean Bean Cham Tofu Snack, Korean Wheat Hardtack and Injeolmi Snacks. These were developed to suit the tastes of the MZ generation, transforming traditional sweets into everyday snacks. Their product line includes more than 15 types of traditional sweet gift sets, Yakgwa, Yugwa (deep-fried sweet rice cakes), and more than 30 other snack varieties. They were consecutively selected as the Agricultural Food Power Brand in 2012 and 2013. The government recognized them as one of the "Top 10 Rice Processed Products that Shined in 2019". Damyang Traditional Sweets has a farm of 2 hectares, including rice paddies and fields, and is also supplied through cooperation with local agricultural cooperatives. In 2021, the company purchased a total of 55.5 tons of glutinous rice and regular rice. They were the first in the traditional confectionery industry to introduce individual packaging, paving the way for mass distribution through standardized packaging specifications. This innovation resulted in longer shelf life by maintaining freshness. It enabled the preservation of the unique taste and aroma of traditional sweets, facilitating their entry into the global market. They've expanded into major department stores such as Lotte, Shinsegae, and Galleria, as well as the Incheon International Airport Duty-Free Shop.

The scorching sun of summer 2023 shows no sign of letting up. Daytime temperatures in Korea have been hovering between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius, with persistent heat waves and sweltering tropical nights making for persistently hot conditions. The intense heat is not just limited to Korea, however. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global average temperature reached 16.95°C from July 1 to 23, surpassing the previous July record of 16.63°C observed in 2019. The WMO predicts that this July could be the hottest on record since 1940, and the sizzling conditions are expected to continue into August. The global market for ice cream, a temporary respite from the heat, is valued at USD 83.47 billion. This represents an increase of 7.3% from the previous year, and from its value of USD 69.35 billion in 2018, it is growing at an average annual rate of 4.7%. The growth of ice cream is driven by the increasing preference of the MZ generation, rising consumer income, improvement and development of cold chain infrastructure, and advances in rapid freezing technology. With the global heat wave and the popularity of Korean culture through movies and dramas, Korean ice cream exports are increasing. Last year, Korea's annual ice cream exports totaled USD 77.61 million, the largest ever for a single year. By country, the United States (USD 19 million), China (USD 7 million), the Philippines (USD 6 million) and Canada (USD 5 million) accounted for the largest exports. The main distribution channel for ice cream in Korea is convenience stores at 36.4%, reflecting consumers' convenience-oriented shopping patterns. The recent increase in the number of unmanned ice cream shops in South Korea seems to have affected ice cream sales in regular channels. Ice cream trends in the convenience store industry include the introduction of various PB ice cream products to strengthen the brand identity of convenience stores and the introduction of differentiated products to increase customer traffic. GS Retail is targeting consumers with differentiated products and exotic flavors such as “Knotted Soft Cone”, BGF Retail (CU)'s “Larasweet Ice Cream”, and E-Mart 24's "Seongju Chamoe Cone" and "Busan Ssiat Hotteok Cone". South Korea's ice cream exports have been growing every year, reaching KRW 77,605 billion in 2022. With Korean convenience store brands such as CU and GS25 expanding overseas, local consumers now have easier access to Korean ice cream. GS25 in Vietnam sells Korean ice creams such as “Samanco”, “Melona”, and “Screw Bar”, which are popular with local consumers for their competitive prices and variety of flavors. Ice cream has evolved beyond just taste and refreshment, adapting to consumer preferences. From plant-based options to ice cream with unique flavors and intriguing textures to zero-sugar treats, the industry continues to introduce innovative offerings to meet consumer demands.